Prejudice
by Yumithebutterfly
Summary: What could have happened to Rin to shatter her trust in lord Sesshoumaru? What must Sesshoumaru do to earn it back? This is not a romance.
1. The Human Village

A/N:Hello! This is my very first story posted on this site. I hope everyone likes it!

Disclaimer:I don't own anything you recognize in this story.

**Chapter One: The Human Village**

The sun was directly above them as the group relaxed in a grassy field. A lazy breeze blew across the plain, briefly cooling the hot summer air. A little girl danced happily in the wind, smiling and giggling like little girls do.

And then it happened. Nobody saw it coming; it took everyone by surprise. One moment the air was filled with the sound of a child's laughter, and the next a deep, low growl rumbled across the meadow.

Rin was hungry.

From his perch atop a large rock, Sesshoumaru glanced at her curiously. She blushed.

"Sorry, Sesshoumaru-sama," she said.

Sesshoumaru looked at her, wondering why she was apologizing for such a thing. Oh, well. "Are you hungry, Rin?" he asked unnecessarily.

She nodded.

"Jaken," Sesshoumaru said.

The little green imp scurried over. "Yes, Lord Sesshoumaru?"

"Bring me Ah'Un's saddlebag," Sesshoumaru ordered.

Jaken nodded. "Right away, my lord!" he said. He hobbled over to Ah'Un, who was resting under a cherry blossom tree and munching on a dandelion. Jaken untied the brown leather saddlebag and carried it over to his waiting master.

Sesshoumaru received the bag and loosened the string that held it closed, opening it with one hand. After a moment of searching, his fingertips brushed against something hard and smooth. He lifted it out.

"Rin, come here."

Rin walked over. Sesshoumaru handed her the object, which she took from him with a large smile. It was a small round thing. A gold coin.

"We are not far from a human village," Sesshoumaru informed her. "Go and buy yourself some food, and bring it back here. We will go no further today."

Rin grinned brightly at him. "Thank you, Lord Sesshoumaru!" she said. "Which way is the village?"

Sesshoumaru pointed South, opposite the way they had come. He knew it was there because he could smell it.

Rin took off running. Promising not to be long, she disappeared into the trees.

Rin arrived at her destination quickly enough. The village wasn't large, but it was larger than some she had seen. Like Kaede's, for instance.

A tall, wooden fence outlined the village, and a sizeable gate bordered the entrance. Rin entered the community a bit shyly. Being in new places never ceased to make her a tad nervous.

People hurried about their business, practically ignoring the little girl that just appeared. That didn't bother her. Sometimes no attention was better than negative attention, and she would much rather have people ignore her than be hostile toward her.

Now, onto the task at hand. Rin sniffed the air, trying to detect any sign of food. A pleasant scent filled her nose. It smelled sweet and delicious, like warm berries.

Rin began her quest to find the origin of the wonderful smell. Weaving her way between the villagers, she found herself enthralled by all the sights and smells of the place. There were foods she'd never seen before that looked quite tasty indeed (although her heart was still set on the warm berries), and a nice little shop was selling kimonos in every design and color she could imagine. There was even a light blue one with hot pink lotus flowers!

Rin caught herself staring. Shaking her head, she continued her search for the aroma that was making her stomach growl so violently. So violently in fact, that she began to wonder if the crowd around her could hear it too.

Apparently not.

Rin was about halfway through the town now, and directly in front of her was a house. The smell of berries was without a doubt coming from there.

Rin sprinted toward the hut. She carefully opened the door, and a wave of the sweetest-smelling air hit her right in the face.

Her stomach rumbled loudly in approval.

A young woman was sitting on a bamboo mat near the center of the room, staring at a small stone oven. She turned her head when Rin walked in.

Rin immediately felt embarrassed. How rude of her to just walk into someone's house like that.

"I'm-I'm sorry," Rin stammered, backing away.

The young woman just smiled kindly. She had green eyes that smiled when she did, and long black hair which she wore in a low ponytail. "It is no problem, child," she said.

Rin felt relieved.

The young woman studied her for a moment, then smiled again. "You look hungry, dear. Would you like something to eat?"

Rin smiled back. "I would very much, please!"

The woman beckoned her with a hand. "Well, come here, silly girl. Don't lurk in the doorway."

Rin obeyed.

"What is your name, child?" asked the woman.

"Rin," Rin responded.

"Rin," the woman repeated. She smiled. "That is a very pretty name, Rin. My name is Kimiko. It's nice to meet you."

Rin liked Kimiko. She smiled a lot. "What are you making, Kimiko-san?" she asked, hovering over Kimiko's shoulder.

Kimiko smiled. Again. "I'm making a pie."

"What kind?"

"Nut and berry."

Rin grinned. Her nose was never wrong. "Is it done yet?" she inquired anxiously.

Kimiko laughed. "Yes, Rin. It's done now."

Rin clapped her hands happily and stood back as Kimiko removed the pie from its stone prison and placed it on the floor between them.

Rin's mouth watered as Kimiko cut the pie and handed a piece to her. "Thank you, Kimiko-san!" she exclaimed. Not a minute later, her pie was gone.

Kimiko blinked at her, then laughed. "I was right! You were hungry! Would you like another piece?"

Rin shook her head, handing her companion her dish. "No, thank you, Kimiko-san. That was enough for me, and I need to leave now. Thank you for the pie." She held out her coin for Kimiko to take.

Kimiko just smiled. "Keep your money, dear. I'm just glad I could help."

Rin stood up and bowed politely, then left.

A pair of eyes peered around the corner of a house, the owner of them concealed in the shadows. The eyes watched a little girl, maybe eight years old, skipping happily through the sea of villagers. The child stopped for just a moment to finger a kimono that was on sale at one of the shops. She looked at something in her hand, then at the kimono, then appeared to change her mind and continue on her way.

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A/N: End of chapter 1! Please tell my what you think! Even if you didn't like it!


	2. A New Kimono

Here's chapter 2! Hope you enjoy it! If you did, tell me! I will personally thank each of my reviewers (if I ever get any). Oo

**Chapter Two: New Kimono**

Rin entered the clearing where Sesshoumaru, Jaken and Ah'Un waited.

Sesshoumaru cocked an eyebrow upon seeing her. "Did you find no food?" he asked.

Rin felt a little embarrassed. She'd completely forgotten that she was supposed to bring her food back with her. "Yes, I did, Sesshoumaru-sama," she admitted.

He cocked his other eyebrow. "Oh? Where is it?"

Rin nudged a pebble with her toe. "I ate it there."

"Why?"

Before Rin had a chance to speak, Jaken decided to enter into the conversation.

"Yes, girl, why?" he squawked. "Lord Sesshoumaru specifically told you to bring your food back here."

"Jaken--"

"He gave you orders and you disobeyed them!"

"Jaken–!"

"Lord Sesshoumaru will not tolerate such insubordination!"

"_Jaken_!"

"Yes, my lord?"

"Be silent."

"Yes, my lord . . . "

Now that his annoying retainer was finally quiet, Sesshoumaru turned his attention back to Rin. "Now, Rin, tell me why you did not do as I asked."

Rin's eyes widened. "No, Sesshoumaru-sama, it wasn't like that! I just forgot. That's all. The woman who gave me food was really nice and she looked kind of lonely. I'm sorry, lord Sesshoumaru. I didn't mean to disobey."

Sesshoumaru studied her face and found no trace of dishonesty, not that he was expecting to. Satisfied with her answer, he nodded his head. "Fine, then."

Rin smiled.

Jaken scowled. _Manipulative wench . . ._

"There was no money left over, I assume?" Sesshoumaru continued.

Rin looked surprised. "Oh! Actually there was, Sesshoumaru-sama. The kind woman let me eat for free."

Then she got an idea. Turning on the charm, she put her hands behind her back and smiled sweetly at him. She was cute, knew it, and knew how to make it work for her. "Sesshoumaru-sama?"

He looked at her suspiciously.

"Anou...there was a shop in the village that was selling kimonos, and one of them was really pretty! It was blue and it had pink flowers on it . . ."

"I assume you want it?"

"Yes, my lord."

Sesshoumaru looked skeptically at her. "Rin, there is nothing wrong with the kimono you have now."

Rin's face fell. "I know, Lord Sesshoumaru, but..." Her plan wasn't working. Maybe Sesshoumaru couldn't be suckered like Jaken could.

Sesshoumaru stared at her and suppressed a sigh. He couldn't seem to deny this girl anything. "So be it."

Rin's face brightened up. "Oh, thank you, lord Sesshoumaru!" She could barely restrain herself from hugging his legs.

"Go, and be quick about it, Rin."

"Yes," she said with a nod. Then, grinning, she ran off.

Rin arrived at the village the second time even more quickly than she had the first. It took her no time at all to find the kimono shop, and even less time to find the one she wanted. It had short sleeves, and it was a baby blue color with a bright pink lotus flower pattern. She had stars in her eyes as she brought the dress to the shop owner.

"One yen," the owner said with a bored expression.

Rin gave her the coin.

The owner glared at the coin, then at Rin. "One _human_ yen," she corrected herself.

Rin frowned. "I don't have a human yen. Can't you just take this one?"

The shop owner shook her head in disgust. "I have no use for youkai currency, little girl. Give me a human yen, or give me the kimono."

Rin looked sadly at the beautiful kimono, stroking it and wishing she didn't have to relinquish it.

"Here," said a familiar voice from above Rin.

Rin looked up and smiled. "Kimiko-san!"

Kimiko smiled at Rin and handed a human yen to the shop owner, who made a face and grumbled something.

Kimiko and Rin ignored her.

"Thank you, very much, Kimiko-san!" Rin gushed, hugging her new dress.

Kimiko smiled. "No trouble at all, my dear. I'm just glad I could help."

Rin grinned and walked away, waving to Kimiko as she left.

"Lord Sesshoumaru! Master Jaken!" Rin ran into the field where her friends waited. "I'm back!"

"Well," Jaken crowed, "it's about time! You were keeping lord Sesshoumaru waiting!"

Rin cocked her head. "Hm? Waiting for what?"

Sesshoumaru stood from his rock. "I have an errand to run, Rin. I will not be long."

Rin nodded. "Okay. I'll wait right here."

She waved as he walked away, followed by Jaken and Ah'Un. "Don't forget to come back for me!"


	3. Shattered

A/N: Oh yea, I'm so happy! I got nine reviews! So, as promised, here is a special thanks to all of my reviewers:

Negrath:Hmm...not quite. It's nothing big like that. You'll see. Thank you so much for the review!

Nefertiry Kaineferu:Yep! It shows up! I wonder why your other one didn't? Hmmm. Well, thanks a whole bunch for the review! You made me so happy!

Shadow Kokitsune:Thank you for reviewing! Here's chapter 3. Enjoy!

Sesshomaru's Princess:Nah, don't worry about it. I feel better now :)

twinlady:I'm so glad you like :) Thank you!

Blueish Angel:I found the time! It's not easy with work. Thank you very much.

Siliven:I'm so glad you think so! I agree :) In my personal opinion, I think Sesshoumaru makes a better father figure than a lover. At least to Rin. Thank you!

butterfly:Thank you!

candelblaise:I'm so happy you reviewed! I do too:-) Thank you so much!

IMPORTANT AUTHOR'S NOTE: Okay, I promise not to make a habit out of this. I know my chapters have been ridiculously short, but if you want excuses it's because I'm still getting used to this format and everything, and it's harder than I thought to make long chapters. I used to write strictly on paper, and that made for some 5-page chapters. But then when I type it up, it's only half as long! So sorry. This chapter will be incredibly short. This is a critical chapter, though, (it's pretty much what the whole story is about) and I had to make it dramatic. I had to end it there. But please don't let this deter you! I promise I will post chapter 4, which is longer, as soon as I get the chance. Thanks for your patience and for putting up with me! I won't delay you anymore. Here you go!

**Chapter 3: Shattered**

Sesshoumaru walked with Jaken and the dragon demon, Ah'Un, away from the clearing. It had been quite awhile since he'd made a run on this particular "errand", and his stomach was upset with him because of it. He walked until he was far enough away from the meadow that he couldn't hear Rin humming anymore, then he stood very still.

Jaken watched him patiently.

Sesshoumaru closed his eyes and concentrated on all of the things that made him angry. In no time at all, the furry, pelt-like accessory he wore started to twitch.

_Father gave Inuyasha the Tetsusaiga . . . I lost a fight _against_ the Tetsusaiga . . .Jaken's irritating voice . . . Ah'Un is _chewing_ on my _hair

Concentration broken, Sesshoumaru spun around and swatted Ah'Un's nose, resulting in a yelp from the dragon. "Stop that," he growled. Ah'Un cowered away.

Sesshoumaru turned around, closed his eyes, and concentrated once more. After a moment of thinking, Sesshoumaru's fists began clenching at his sides. He growled without knowing it, and when he finally opened his eyes, they were glowing red. In a flurry of wind born of his rage, Sesshoumaru transformed into a creature more than ten times his usual size. Now he was in his true form: a monstrous, vicious, snarling beast, hungry for the taste of fresh blood.

Sesshoumaru turned his attention to the little imp and the dragon standing at his side. "Now is our turn to eat," he roared. They could understand him perfectly, being youkai themselves, even though a human would have heard only a simple bark. "Meet me back here when you finish." With a giant leap he bounded away, off to search for tasty prey. It bothered him only a little bit that he had to be supremely angry in order to transform and therefore eat, but he didn't have to do it very often, so he put up with it. It was annoying, but it wasn't difficult.

Jaken turned to Ah'Un. "You heard him," he squawked. "Go find something to eat. Meet back here when you're done."

Ah'Un snorted.

Jaken sighed. "Of course you aren't hungry. You do nothing but eat plants all day long. I am hungry, however, so I am going to find some food. You stay here." He walked away, sniffing the air for something appetizing.

Ah'Un flopped over onto its side and fell asleep.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Rin hugged her knees, stared into the fire, and sighed. She hated being left alone in the forest at night. Nighttime was when all of the bugs and creepy noises came out. Even Ah'Un and Jaken had left with Sesshoumaru for some reason, leaving her with no one to talk to. A soft wind blew her hair around her face and she shivered. The fire she'd built was quickly dying, and it was doing little to warm her small body. Even though it was Summer, it could still get cold when the sun went down.

Rin was dressed in her new kimono, and she was anxious for Sesshoumaru to return so she could show him. She thought they'd be back by now; the sun had set hours ago. To pass the time, Rin began to sing to herself.

"_In the mountains, in the breeze._

_In the forest in my dreams._

_Lord Sesshoumaru, where are you?_

_Jaken is–"_

Just then, a twig snapped, interrupting her song. Rin lifted her head and saw Sesshoumaru emerging from the trees and shadows, alone. She stood to greet him.

"Lord Sesshoumaru," she said with a smile. "I'm glad you're back. I missed you." She looked behind him. "Where are Ah'Un and Jaken-sama?"

Sesshoumaru looked down at her with blank eyes.

"Sesshoumaru-sama? Are you okay?" she asked.

Sesshoumaru kneeled down in front of her and looked directly into her eyes, then he raised his hand and wrapped it around her small throat.

Rin looked at him quizzically, wondering what on Earth he was doing.

Suddenly, his grip tightened considerably. Rin tried to gasp, but her breath caught in her throat. She reached up in a futile attempt to pry off his hand. She struggled, squirmed, and twisted, but his grip did not relent.

"Are you afraid, Rin?" Sesshoumaru asked, in a voice that was not his own. He stood, bringing Rin with him, his arm straight out and rigid.

Eyes wide, she nodded.

Sesshoumaru's face twisted into a grin, and he said in the same _other_ voice, "Pathetic human!"

Things got fuzzy. Rin's struggling slowed, then ceased altogether. Just before she blacked out, the only thing she saw was a pair of glowing, red eyes.


	4. Run

A/N: Thanks for all the feedback, you guys! I've been really bummed since this site took down another story I was smack-dab in the middle of working on. Grrrr. Anyway, here is a special thanks to everyone who reviewed last chapter:

wolfygirl13: Wow! I can't say anything, or I'll give something away! Thank you so much!

Dimension guardian: Oh, you're close! But that's all I can say, or I'll say too much! Thank you for the review!

SesshomaruCrazy: Thank _you_. I appreciate that a lot. Wow. Here you go:)

Sesshoumaru's 4eva: Aww, how sweet! Thank you. I'm sorry, but at the same time, not really. Heheh. Mixed feelings about that. Glad you liked!

Siliven: Your patience has paid off. I'm back! I'm glad you like this so much. That makes me so happy! Enjoy!

**Chapter 4: Run**

The sun had already risen, and Sesshoumaru was nearing the field where he left Rin. The errand had taken much longer than he'd thought it would (cattle, sheep, and deer just didn't seem to want to be eaten last night) and a tiny part of him felt bad for making Rin wait so long. However, that thought was quickly squashed and the idea dismissed from his mind. Rin would just have to learn to deal with things like this.

Behind him, Jaken was grumbling to himself about being tired. Sesshoumaru rolled his eyes.

They entered the clearing, surprised when Rin didn't charge them and tell them how much she'd missed them. Even Ah'Un, who'd gotten used to the little human running up and hugging them whenever they'd return from a journey, looked around curiously for her. But alas, there was no little girl to talk their ears off or tell them every detail about what she'd done in their absence.

Sesshoumaru's ears twitched.

"Where is that girl?" Jaken wondered out loud, sounding exasperated. "We must go and she's holding us up!"

"Be quiet, Jaken," Sesshoumaru ordered.

Jaken looked up at him, puzzled by the command. Why wasn't Sesshoumaru just calling the girl? Surely she'd come.

Sesshoumaru strained to listen. He thought he heard something, but he wasn't sure.

A bird chirped, either Ah or Un sneezed, and a squirrel ran up a tree.

Sesshoumaru's ears twitched again. There! There was that sound again. It sounded distant and quiet, but very near at the same time.

It sounded like somebody crying.

Troubled, Sesshoumaru set out to find the source of the noise. He scanned the area; however, finding no one, he closed his eyes and relied on his ears and nose to help him out. His ears led him South, while his nose picked up the unfamiliar, and unwelcome, scent of Rin's tears.

With a purpose, he strode South until he reached Rin.

Nothing could have prepared him for what he found. There was the girl, curled in a fetal position at the base of a tree. Her eyes were shut tight, tears flowing from them, and her face was red like she'd been crying all night. Her new kimono was torn and dirty, there were bruises on her arms and one on her face like she'd been slapped, and her ponytail had come out. Even though it was nearing seventy degrees, she was hugging herself as if she were cold.

For a moment, Sesshoumaru only stared. What happened here? This was not the bubbly child he'd left waiting for him last night. This child looked sad, hopeless.

Broken.

Something terrible had happened, and he intended to find out what.

He stepped forward. "Rin?"

Rin's eyes snapped open. She stared at him at first, then leapt to hear feet. But instead of running to him and throwing herself at him like he expected, she started to slowly back away, eyes wide with fear.

It was unsettling. In all the time Rin had been with Sesshoumaru, she had never, not even once, shown fear toward him.

He didn't like this at all. He took another step forward. "Rin," he said, a little more softly this time.

Rin whimpered and continued to walk backward.

Sesshoumaru stopped, thoroughly disturbed. "Rin, come here." He wasn't used to speaking softly so much. He was trying not to sound frustrated, but he had no idea how to respond to a situation like this.

In response, Rin began to cry again.

Sesshoumaru's mind went blank. What should he do? What _did_ he do? It was painfully clear that she was afraid of him. He just didn't know why. "Rin, what is going on? What happened to you?"

Rin covered her face with her hands and dropped to her knees, still crying.

Sesshoumaru stepped forward.

"_Get away from me!" _Rin suddenly screamed, startling Sesshoumaru to the core.

"Rin–" he began, but was cut of by Rin's shrieks.

"_Don't come near me! Don't touch me! I hate you!"_

Sesshoumaru went numb. Was he still standing? Yes? How? He couldn't feel his legs. He gaped at her, shocked and speechless.

Something serious had happened.

"Rin," Sesshoumaru said for the hundredth time, "I need you to listen to me, and I need you to answer me. What happened last night?"

Rin clamped her hands over her ears, squeezed her eyes shut, and screamed.

"Rin," Sesshoumaru said, "stop that."

She didn't stop.

"Rin, I said stop it."

She wasn't listening.

"Rin, stop that right now!"

She did, but only to take a breath.

Sesshoumaru took advantage of her reprieve. In a flash, he was right next to her, his hand covering her mouth.

Rin did what any other person would do in that situation: she bit him.

Sesshoumaru jerked his hand away, out of surprise more than anything else.

Rin bolted. She ran through the trees, darting here and there, trying to confuse Sesshoumaru and beat him to the village.

It worked, somehow.

Rin ran as fast as she could through the village for what seemed like days, until she reached a small stone house. She wrenched open the door, ran inside, and screamed, _"Kimiko-san!"_

A startled young woman appeared, wiping her hands on her apron, eyes widening when she saw Rin. "Rin!" she exclaimed. "My word, what happened to you?"

Rin lapsed into a hysterical fit, part screaming, part laughing, part crying. Then the exhaustion caught up with her, and she crumbled to the floor.


	5. GET HIM!

A/N:I'm so happy to have gotten such a good response from all of you! Thank you all so much. Especially to:

wolfygirl13:Thanks a bunch! Tell your boyfriend that his wait is over. Enjoy!

Cleo:Glad to hear it! Thanks a lot. Her you go!

Guest:Thank you! You don't have to wait anymore! I'm glad you like this so much.

Twiztidchick666:Hmm. Interesting name. Anywho, thank you so much! That was really sweet.

Masshiro-Inu:Oh, yes! You'll have to see. :) Hope you like this chapter!

Misikoblossom:I'm sorry, but you'll just have to be patient. I'll reveal it soon enough. Thank you for reviewing!

Secret Angel Forever21:Yes, it was, and it's just going to get worse. But that's all I'm going to say. Thank you for the review!

**Chapter 5: GET HIM!**

It was quiet as Sesshoumaru stepped into the village. The dirt on the path crunched softly under his shoes, and a breeze played with his hair. There was no one in sight, as it was approaching noon, and everyone was probably inside for their midday rest.

Finding Rin would not be difficult.

As Sesshoumaru walked along the sandy path, he could hear frightened whispers and, looking around, saw the village people peering at him through the windows of their houses.

Sesshoumaru was in no mood for delays. He stopped walking to growl at them, and flashed his eyes red in warning. The villagers gasped and disappeared from the windows.

Sesshoumaru continued walking along, sniffing the air for Rin's scent. It seemed to be coming from a house directly in front of him. It was a small house, made of stone and bricks with a straw roof and a door made of pine.

Just then, a woman rushed out of the house, wielding a broom. "Stay where you are, demon! Don't come any closer!" she shouted.

Sesshoumaru humored her and stopped. "Step aside, human. I have no time to waste with you. I came only for the girl, nothing more. Bring her to me at once."

The woman frowned. "You mean Rin."

Sesshoumaru nodded. "Yes. Bring Rin to me now."

"Not on your life!"

Sesshoumaru frowned. "I am afraid you are in no position to defy me." He then lifted two of his fingers in front of his face, and they started to glow.

Suddenly, the front door of the house flew open, and a little girl ran out. The girl rushed to stand in front of the young woman with her arms spread out.

It was Rin, and she looked terrified. "No, stop! Don't hurt Kimiko-san!" she cried.

Sesshoumaru hesitated. He dropped his hand and looked at Rin. "Rin, there you are. Let's be going, shall we?"

Rin shook her head. "No. I'm not going with you. Just leave me alone! I never want to see you again!"

Sesshoumaru looked at her, dumbfounded. "Rin, stop this foolishness immediately. We do not have time to linger here. There is work to be done."

Rin backed up and hid behind Kimiko, her courage gone. Hiding her face in Kimiko's kimono, she whispered, "Just go without me. Leave me alone."

Kimiko bent down to whisper in Rin's ear. "Is he. . .?"

Rin nodded, shaking.

Sesshoumaru eyed them curiously.

Kimiko straightened up again, looking furious. "Get out of here, you monster!" she yelled. "Don't you think you've caused enough damage? Leave this girl in peace!"

Sesshoumaru was completely baffled. Everyone seemed to know what was going on except him, and it was making him very uncomfortable. He didn't like being left in the dark.

"Stop this nonsense at once," he ordered them. "Rin, we are going now."

"No," Rin said, eyes filling with tears.

Sesshoumaru's heart twinged. He hated to see Rin so unhappy, especially if he was the one who caused it. But what was he supposed to do? Rin wasn't coming willingly, and he didn't want to force her. Should he stay and try to untangle this mess? Should he walk away?

"Get away from here!" Kimiko shouted, angry that he hadn't left yet.

Sesshoumaru heard someone close a door to one of the houses behind him. A villager approached and said, "Is there a problem?"

"Stay out of this," Sesshoumaru said, at the same time Kimiko said, "Yes, there is a problem!"

The villager, a tall, burly man with a thick mustache, looked at Kimiko and asked what the problem was.

Kimiko pointed an accusing finger at Sesshoumaru. "He attacked this little girl!" she exclaimed. "And when she ran away he followed her here! He wants her back!"

The man eyed Sesshoumaru, while Sesshoumaru glared at Kimiko. Kimiko glared right back.

Just then a second villager walked up, followed by a third. "What's going on over here?" one of them asked.

"We need to get this guy out of here," the first village man said.

A fourth man walked up. Then a fifth. Then a sixth, then half the town.

Sesshoumaru growled low in his throat. This woman was making a scene, and he had no patience to deal with a bunch of humans today. "Look," he said, turning to the men. "I do not have time to waste with you. Just give me the girl and we will leave."

"Or what?" one of the village men asked.

"Or I will kill you all, and burn your town to the ground."

"Oh, yeah? And how do you plan to do that?"

"Hey, cool it, man," someone said. "Can't you tell he's a youkai?"

A whisper floated among the group, followed by a wave of panic. People began screaming and picking up rocks and sticks and whatever else they could find to use as a weapon.

"GET HIM!"


	6. Win and Lose

A/N:Wow! The responses keep coming! Not that I'm complaining, mind you. :) I think you guys enjoy reading my story as much as I enjoy reading your reviews! A thousand thanks to all who reviewed last chapter:

Secret Angel Forever21: Thank you so much. Always a pleasure to hear from you.

Wolfygirl13: LOL! Yeah, lay off the caffeine. Caffeine is good, though. I like random chibis! And your boyfriend is welcome.

Random: Thank you very much. I'm glad you're enjoying this.

Masshiro-Inu: Thank you! Here you go!

Blueish Angel: Always a welcome sight. Ta-da! I found time. Thank you very much!

Cleo: Heheh. Very not, but you'll see. Twists to come!

Icygirl2: Thank you so much. I appreciate it. I can't reveal anything! You will just have to read and see. I hope I don't disappoint!

Siliven: I'm glad to hear that you're enjoying this so much. I'm enjoying writing it, although . . .that's all I'm going to say. Here's number 6. Have fun!

PPE: Yay! Another new reviewer! Thanks a ton.

**Chapter 6: Win and Lose**

The last thing Sesshoumaru expected was for a bunch of mortals to run _toward_ him in rage, instead of _away from_ him in fear. But when humans become protective of one of their own, especially a child, they lose their individual consciousness and become of one mind. That one mind had one thought: _kill the demon._

So at him they came, weapons raised high, all crying war in unison. They tackled him, dog piled him, and started beating him with their make-shift artillery.

Naturally, the rocks and sticks and what-have-you had virtually no effect. They only managed to agitate him. With great ease Sesshoumaru freed himself of the irritating humans, glaring death at them all. "I suggest you do not try that again," he advised them. "I will have no qualms about killing you where you stand."

To everyone's surprise, Sesshoumaru turned around and left the village.

The villagers looked at each other, puzzled.

"Did we just win?" one of them asked.

"I think we did," said another.

It took some time to sink in. Then the townspeople cheered, congratulating each other and patting themselves on the back.

"Did you see that punch I threw? It hit him square in the nose!"

"Yeah, I saw it! Didn't do much, though."

"Well, he left didn't he? I can't believe this! A youkai just got chased out of town by a pack of humans!"

"Incredible!"

But Rin, who was still hiding behind Kimiko, knew better. She watched Sesshoumaru disappear into the forest with a mild sense of dread. Sesshoumaru wasn't one to just walk away from a fight, especially one with the promise of killing humans. It was like a sport for him, and it wasn't like him to let a group of mortals attack him and get away with it. No, whatever reason Sesshoumaru had for abandoning the battle was much more important than the battle itself.

_But,_ she wondered, _what could it be?_

Indeed, Sesshoumaru did have a very important reason for leaving the village. Something had come to his attention, something that couldn't wait. He hurried through the forest, wrapped up in his thoughts.

_When that human struck me . . ._

It didn't smell like a human. It smelled like Sesshoumaru.

Later, Kimiko entered the room where Rin rested, knocking lightly on the door. "Rin?" she said softly.

Rin looked at her from where she lay on the bed. "Yes, Kimiko-san?"

Kimiko walked over and sat on the edge of the mattress. "How are you?" she asked.

Rin just shrugged.

"Are you hungry?"

"No."

"Thirsty?"

Rin shook her head.

"Just tired?"

Rin nodded.

Kimiko smiled. "Okay," she said. "You can rest now."

Rin smiled slightly. "Thanks, Kimiko-san."

Kimiko patted Rin's knee and stood to leave. She closed the door behind her and left Rin in peace, then walked to the living room and sat down on the bamboo mat on the floor. She hugged her knees to her chest, feeling like a child for doing so. A tear manifested itself in her eye, and she tried to blink it away. A wave of pain surged through her heart and she closed her eyes . . .

. . . and instantly wished she hadn't. A vision raced through her head, one that brought back memories she'd long ached to forget:

_She'd just begun to talk. Just this morning she said the word "Mom". Granted it was an English word, but it was better than nothing. Maybe she would be bilingual! She had beautiful black hair that was held in two ponytails on either side of her head. Her big, green eyes laughed at everything she saw, including her mother. Her smile was contagious._

_Now she was playing in the yard. Picking flowers and sniffing them, laughing, smiling. Always smiling . . ._

_Wait._

_Something wasn't right. What was that? Something just moved up in that tree._

_A gasp. It was a youkai! Get out of the yard! Hurry! _

_Her mother ran to protect her, and then . . ._

Kimiko snapped her eyes open as tears fell from them. It was so hard to forget, and Rin looked just like her, only older.

Kimiko cried herself to sleep that night.

A/N: Awwww, poor Kimiko-san. Okay, anyway. Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! Reviews are very appreciated.


	7. Missing

A/N: YAY! I love reviews! You guys make me so happy. Sorry for the long wait. Here we go!

Masshiro-Inu: Thank you so much! You'll have to see. :)

Sesshomaru's Princess: Whatever, chick. :) Yeah, I know, writer's block sucks. I'm kind of experiencing that right now, too. But don't cry! It will all work out eventually. Heheh.

Icygirl12: Don't worry, I'm not the most patient person either. Especially when it comes to fanfics that I want updated and no one's updating! But here you go! It will all be explained in the end. You have a good day, too!

Wolfygirl13: I am so glad that you're enjoying this so much. I will keep updating until this is finished, no worries. Even if it takes me 30 years (it won't, but still) I will finish it. Tell your boyfriend I'll keep that in mind. And tell him he's hilarious! You're a lucky girl. Candy is good, and so are plushies. You can have one:gives wolfygirl13 a plushy:

Magawa: You have a point, but realism is hardly my biggest concern right now. But thanks for the feedback! I appreciate it. As for your other review (which I also appreciate ), that issue is addressed in chapter 6. Sort of. Everything will be cleared up in the end.

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Blueish Angel: You will see! I promise! It's sad, what I'm going to do to Rin and Sesshoumaru. But I've already said too much...Thank you for being such a faithful reader.

Hasso: And with you. Thanks

Secret Angel Forever21: Oh, don't worry, it gets better. Or worse. Or whatever you want to call it. Let me put it this way: it's always darkest before the dawn, and it's not yet dawn.

Siliven: Yeah, I know. And I try, but for some reason it's hard for me. I'll try harder, I promise. But no guarantees :)

Dani: Yes. Yes I am.

Okay, now, on with the chapter!

**Chapter 7: Missing**

The tree observed Sesshoumaru silently with half-open eyes. After having not seen the Taiyoukai for so long it was hard to focus. He blinked a few times "Sesshoumaru," he said at last.

"Bokseno."

"What brings you here after so long? I thought you would be out conquering the world."

"I have a question for you."

Bokseno raised a wooden eyebrow. "What is it?"

"Is it possible for a human to change its scent?"

Bokseno frowned. "A human, you say?" He thought for a moment. A very long moment. So long, in fact, that Sesshoumaru began to grow impatient.

"Well?"

Bokseno thought some more. "No," he said finally.

"Are you certain?"

Bokseno hesitated, thought a little longer, then said,"Yes."

"You have never heard of a situation like that?"

"Never."

Sesshoumaru nodded, mostly to himself. _Interesting . . ._

"Anything else?" Bokseno asked.

Sesshoumaru ignored him and walked away. He knew what he had to do next.

-

A refreshing breeze drifted in through the open window in the room where Rin rested. It was dark in the room, with only the light from the crescent moon as means to see anything at all.

Rin wasn't sleeping, but not from lack of trying. She was just too darn hot. No position was comfortable, even though her bed was right under the window, no spot on the bed would stay cool long enough, and every time she closed her eyes, she saw his face again. The mere thought of it made her shudder.

Rin suddenly felt a chill and looked toward the window, and jumped three feet in the air.

Sesshoumaru was right outside, staring at her.

She almost screamed, but he beat her to it. His hand flew in through the open window, covering her mouth.

"Don't move," he warned her. His voice was strange again, deep and growl-like, like rolling marbles.

Rin had no intention of listening to him. She jerked away from his hand, leapt from the bed, and rushed out of the room. She ran to the living room, where Kimiko was lying on the bamboo mat on the floor. "Kimiko-san!" she exclaimed.

Kimiko sat up and looked at her. "What's wrong, Rin?"

"I saw him!" Rin gasped. "He's outside! He was looking at me through the window!"

Kimiko jumped to her feet and ran with Rin to the bedroom.

There was no one at the window.

Kimiko looked at Rin. "Rin, are you sure you saw him?" she asked gently.

Rin nodded her head. "I'm positive! He was right there, and he told me not to move. But I ran to tell you and now he's gone!"

_Maybe she's hallucinating,_ Kimiko thought to herself. "Rin, could it be you were just seeing things? Maybe you imagined it."

Rin didn't look convinced. "I'm sure I saw him there . . ."

Kimiko stepped over to the window and leaned out. "There isn't anyone here, Rin," she said. "You're okay. Go back to sleep, okay? When you wake up, there will be a nice breakfast with eggs and bacon waiting for you. How does that sound?"

Rin's face lit up. "Okay!" she agreed. She hopped back onto the bed and laid down, closing her eyes. She smiled a little when she felt Kimiko kiss her softly on the forehead.

"Rin."

Rin's eyes snapped open. She bolted upright and looked fearfully toward the window, then gasped.

He was back.

Kimiko hummed a little tune to herself as she removed a pan from the stone oven. She inhaled, breathing in the delicious scent of eggs and bacon. Rin was going to love this! Judging by the sun it was about nine in the morning, and Rin hadn't made a peep yet. _She must have been exhausted, _Kimiko thought. _Poor thing._ _But I can't let all of this good food go to waste! She has to get up sooner or later._

Kimiko strolled across the kitchen and then the living room, toward the bedroom. She knocked lightly on the door. "Rin?" she said.

There was no answer.

Kimiko knocked again. "Rin? It's time for breakfast." She pushed the door and it opened with a creak. Kimiko gasped.

Rin was gone.


	8. One Step Closer

A/N: I'm so sorry it took me this long to update! I feel so bad about it. Sorry guys!

Secret Angel Forever21: Thanks a ton! I love hearing from you guys. I've run out of ways to say "thank you"!

Blueish Angel: I know. I should be thanking you! Which I am! Thank you so much!****

Icygirl2: I'm all about the suspense. I hate reading it, but I love writing

it! It makes me so happy that you like this so much. Thank you.

Hpscout: I'm glad to hear it. Thanks a bundle.

Twiztidchick666: Yay! Always good to hear from you! Here you are!

Dani: Yeah, I know. For some reason it's hard for me to write long chapters. I'm getting better, though! This chapter is the longest so far. See author's note at the bottom.

Masshiro-Inu: You'll have to wait and see! Enjoy number 8!

Thoughts13: We'll see where she went in this chapter. Thanks for the review!

Dolphingirl202: Thank you so much for reviewing! I need them.

Dani: I didn't go anywhere! I've just been inside my own head. But I'm back in the real world, and I'm ready to post another chapter. Thank you for asking kindly! Here you go.

**Chapter 8:**

Kimiko ran from the house to the outside world, flagging down a man that was passing by. "Hey! Mugen!" she said.

The skinny man stopped and looked at her. "Yeah?"

"Tell me, have you seen Rin?" Kimiko asked.

"Rin? You mean the little girl that was staying with you?"

"Yes, her. I went to her room this morning and she was gone! I'm afraid that demon took her. Have you seen her?"

The man named Mugen just shook his head, causing strands of short, light hair to whip him in the face. "No. And I haven't seen that demon since I punched him in the nose. I'll help you spread the word, though."

Kimiko looked worried. "Okay. Thanks, Mugen."

Mugen walked away, telling anyone he met to keep their eyes open for the missing girl.

Kimiko looked at the sky, feeling like she'd swallowed a rock. _Rin . . ._

_-_

Rin felt a sensation like that of flying through the air. She couldn't see anything because she was curled into a little ball and Sesshoumaru's arm was wrapped tightly around her, but she knew they were traveling at high speeds. She just couldn't tell if they were in the air or on the ground, he was moving so fast.

Sesshoumaru could feel Rin trembling in his arms, so he glanced down at her. Her eyes were shut and she was closed in on herself, just as she was when he found her under that tree just days ago. It was killing him to see her like this, although he would never admit it, and he wished there was more he could do to help her. But this would help her.

"Faster, Ah'Un," Sesshoumaru ordered the dragon.

With a burst of speed, Ah'Un shot forward toward their destination.

-

Kaede added some carrots to the stew she was making and stirred it around, humming quietly to herself. It was almost suppertime, and she knew Inuyasha would return from bringing Kagome back from her time very soon. No doubt they would be hungry for something hearty.

Kaede heard a soft _thump_ outside. She stood up and walked out the door, saying, "I wasn't expecting you back so soon."

"I didn't think you'd expect me here at all."

Kaede gasped. This was not Inuyasha, but Inuyasha's incredibly tall brother. She had never met him, never even seen him, but she'd heard enough about him to know him when she saw him. The fact that he was here in her village could not mean anything good.

"What are you doing here?" she asked him.

Sesshoumaru was standing several feet from the door to the hut, looking very imposing, and he had something in his arm. It took Kaede a moment to realize it was a little girl.

"A child?" Kaede thought out loud, perplexed. Why would the great Taiyoukai be holding a little human girl?

Sesshoumaru approached, and Kaede stepped back. "What do you want?" she asked.

"Take the girl."

Kaede cocked her head. "What?"

"I will not repeat myself."

Kaede hesitated, not knowing what she should do. Was this a trick? After listening to the stories Inuyasha and Kagome told her about Sesshoumaru, Kaede half expected him to simply kill her where she stood. Seeing the look in his eyes quickly dismissed any thought of disobedience, however. Deciding it was more beneficial to her to trust him rather than to ignore him, she timidly walked forward and did as he ordered.

"There is something wrong with her," Sesshoumaru said flatly, "and you are going to find out what."

Kaede eyed him oddly. "What do you mean?"

"I don't owe you any explanation. Just do as you're told."

Kaede stopped herself from making a face; she could tell this demon was used to ordering people - or rather, other demons - around. She could also tell that his orders were always heeded.

"What are you waiting for, human?" Sesshoumaru asked impatiently.

Kaede bowed politely and led him to her hut. The strange and fearful looks the other villagers were giving them did not go unnoticed by Sesshoumaru.

Once inside the hut, Kaede rested the small child in her arms onto a bamboo mat on the floor in front of the pot of stew she had been stirring before the Taiyoukai showed up with his odd request.

Sesshoumaru remained outside, standing like a statue by the door.

Kaede stood from the floor and walked back to Sesshoumaru. "She seems healthy to me," she informed him.

"She is not ill."

_Isn't that what I just said? _Kaede thought. "Why is she here, then?" she asked instead.

Sesshoumaru appeared to be trying to decide how to word his response. He thought a moment and wet his lips, then said, "She is not acting like herself."

_That helps._ "How does she normally act?"

"Not like this," Sesshoumaru said, annoyed.

"Well, what happened?"

"That is what you are going to find out. Believe me, wench, if I knew the answer to that question, I would not be wasting my time here."

Kaede gave up. She turned from him and went back into the house. Once there, she noticed that the human girl was awake and aware, sitting up and looking around at her surroundings fearfully. Her eyes landed on Kaede.

"Where am I?" the girl asked, eyes filling with tears.

Kaede approached, and Rin recoiled. "Please don't come near me," Rin whispered.

Kaede smiled sweetly. "Don't be afraid, child. I am not here to hurt you. My name is Kaede. What is your name?"

Rin stared at her suspiciously.

"Don't worry, child. You can trust me. I am a priestess in this village. You have nothing to fear from me."

Rin didn't look too sure, but she answered anyway. "My name is Rin."

"May I sit down, Rin?"

Rin hesitated, then made room for her on the mat. Kaede sat next to her and stirred the pot of stew.

"Do you like stew, Rin?"

Rin shrugged. "I don't know."

"You don't know?" Kaede asked. She inhaled the delicious scent.

"Well," said Rin, "my kaasan used to make it a lot, but I haven't had any in such a long time."

"Why is that? Doesn't your kaasan make it anymore?"

Rin was silent.

Kaede looked at her out of the corner of her good eye. "Rin?"

"Kaasan can't make stew anymore . . ." Rin said quietly. "She's dead."

Had Kaede been in the modern world, she would've thought, _Smooth move, Kaede. _However, since she knew nothing about modern slang, her thought was, _Oh, no, now look what I've done. "_I'm so sorry, dear."

There was nothing else to say.

"It's alright," Rin said with another shrug. "It was a long time ago.

-

Word of Rin's disappearance traveled quickly from one end of the town to the other, and soon it was all anyone could think about. Presently, everyone in the village was gathered at Kimiko's house (since Rin had been staying with her, and she had been the last person to see her) for a town meeting. The town Elder, a man named Jie, was having a hard time keeping order in Kimiko's small living room.

"Silence, please!" Jie said for the umpteenth time. He stood on top of the stone oven - he was not a large man, by any stretch of the imagination - with a wooden spoon that he used to hit the oven with every syllable, looking for all the world like a judge demanding order in the court.

The crowd settled down at last, earning a sigh of relief from Jie. "Thank you," he said. "Now, does anyone know what happened to the girl?"

The villagers looked around and murmured to each other, but no one volunteered the information. No one knew.

Jie sighed again, this time in frustration. "Does anyone have an _idea_ as to what happened to her?"

Kimiko hesitantly raised her hand.

"Yes, Kimiko?"

Kimiko lowered her hand, saying, "I have a feeling that youkai took her."

Angry mutters hung in the air, such as, "Isn't that just like a youkai?" and "We shouldn't have expected any different!"

"We certainly shouldn't have trusted him when he just walked out of the village yesterday!" someone exclaimed.

Kimiko craned her neck to see behind her, in the same direction everyone else was looking. Mugen stood there, looking sour.

"I can't believe we just let him get away!" he said. "What were we thinking? How could we just let him leave?"

"Excellent question, Mugen my boy!" said Jie.

Mugen scowled at him.

Jie ignored him and said, "He _was_ a demon, after all. Can anyone tell me why we let him get out of the village in one piece?"

There was silence for a moment, until someone Kimiko couldn't see said, "I think we were all in shock that _we_ were still in one piece!"

Everyone let out a chuckle.

"Order!" Jie exclaimed. Judge, indeed. After "order" had been restored, the Elder continued, saying, "Does anyone have any suggestions as to what we should do about this?"

"I think we should hunt him down and teach him what's what!" the man sitting beside Kimiko said.

"Yeah, and we should take the girl back!"

Kimiko saw a flaw. "Wait," she said, but they weren't listening.

"We outnumber him! One can't possibly take on one hundred!"

"Wait!" Kimiko said again. "You can't! He's a–"

"We drove him away once! Who's to say we can't do it again?"

"He's too strong!" Kimiko offered desperately.

And so it was, Kimiko against the town, said town arguing to fight, and Kimiko advising them otherwise. So caught up were they in their conflict of opinion that no one noticed when a certain someone slipped out of Kimiko's house and away from the village.

_I'll find him myself._ _And this time, I'll kill the girl!_

-

An awkward silence had occupied the hut for much too long, in Sesshoumaru's opinion, with the only sound as that of the bubbling stew on the fire. Kaede watched the little girl out of the corner of her eye. Rin sat quietly, staring into the stew with her hands folded neatly in her lap.

Kaede prepared to talk her up some more, but then she looked up and saw Sesshoumaru peering at her over his shoulder from his spot by the door. She could practically hear him thinking, _Get on with it before I gut you._

Kaede sighed, then turned to Rin. "Do you know why you're here, Rin?" she asked.

Rin shook her head, still transfixed on the stew.

"I heard something happened to you. Do you want to tell me what it was?"

Rin shook her head again.

"Why is that?"

Rin said nothing.

"Rin? Come, now, dear. Tell me what happened so I can help you."

"I'm fine," Rin quietly said.

"Your friend doesn't think so."

Sesshoumaru scoffed. Friend, indeed.

Rin looked at Kaede and frowned. "He isn't my friend." Then she looked back at the iron pot in front of her and whispered, "He hurt me."

Kaede looked up at Sesshoumaru, who didn't look surprised. His eyes prompted her to keep going. Turning back to Rin, Kaede said, "What do you mean?"

Rin shivered. "I don't want to talk about it."

"You must, Rin. That's the only way to feel better."

"But I don't _want_ to."

"I know you don't, my dear, but you have to. You can't continue on like this for the rest of your life."

Rin looked ready to cry. "Please...please, don't let him hurt me again."

"I won't," Kaede promised, not really knowing what she was saying.

Sesshoumaru had to look away. Rin actually believed he'd hurt her _on purpose_. Hadn't she been with him long enough to know that he would never do something like that?

"Okay," Rin said at last with a tiny voice. "I'll tell."

-

A/N: Ooooh! We almost get to find out what happened! Oh, I can't wait! Oo. Wait a minute... I'm the author! I already know what happens! Heheheh...sweatdrop

This is the longest chapter since, like, ever! Wow! But don't get used to it. I can never say how long my chapters will be.

Just for clarification purposes, the Mugen mentioned in this fic is not the same or in any way similar to the Mugen from Samurai Champloo. I just like the name.

Keep the reviews coming! They really get me motivated.


	9. What Really Happened

A/N: I love reviews! I should update more often. Heheh. Anyway, thank you guys for all the positive feedback. Positive reinforcement is such a pleasant thing. Okay, here we go!

Cleo: Whoa. I don't want that. I kind of like my head. Okay, I'm motivated. Thanks!

Ellethwen: Cool name! I like that. I'm glad it made your day. It made my day to read your review! Thanks a whole bunch.

Secret Angel Forever 21: YAY! It's always a pleasure to hear from you. It excites me that you're enjoying this so much! Thanks a lot!

Dimension Guardian: Because that would ruin the suspense! You get to find out in this chapter, so no fear. Thanks for the review.

Icygirl2: You're welcome! Thank _you_! Here's the chapter we've all been waiting for!

Wolfygirl13: Aww, that's so sweet. Thank you so much. It's people like you that keep me writing. You guys keep me inspired.

Masshiro-Inu: Yay! Thanks a ton!

Dani: Oh, no. I won't stop until it's finished. Don't worry! Thank you for the kind words.

Sesshomaru's Princess: Yeah, I know. :P Twiggy man. Anyway, don't worry! I won't let your Sesshy be made a fool of for much longer. But that's all I'm going to say!

Angels Strawberry Kiss: Heeheehee. Thanks. :)

Silentxangel: I know, that's so sad. Thanks for the feedback.

Terry Hudokon: I'll try! But no promises. For some reason it's difficult for me to write long chapters. But I'll try to do better on the details. Thank you so much!

JACKIE: Don't worry! I won't stop until this thing's done. No fear! Thanks for the concern.

**_A/N: CONTENT WARNING!_** We have entered a tunnel, and it's about to get dark. This chapter contains a serious social issue that may not be appropriate for some readers, which is why it's rated "T". The Issue is a crime against a child. I don't want to go into detail. Enter Tunnel At Your Own Risk. Don't say I didn't warn you.

**Chapter Nine: What Really Happened**

_It couldn't have lasted longer than a few seconds. Just as quickly as Rin had blacked out she was awake again, and now she was on the ground. The throbbing in her tail bone suggested that Sesshoumaru must have dropped her. She looked up fearfully at him, wondering what on earth he was doing. _

_He smirked down at her, eating up her fear. His eyes were still blank._

"_Lord Sesshoumaru," she squeaked. "Wh-what are you doing?"_

_He advanced on her, and she scooted away._

"_Come here, Rin," he said._

_For the first time in her life, Rin told Sesshoumaru "no."_

_He glared at her, then closed the gap between them. "Unacceptable!" he roared, and brought the back of his hand down hard to her face. _

_Rin cried out as her face burned and stung. Her watery eyes gazed up at Sesshoumaru with nothing less than utter disbelief. He had just _hit_ her with all his strength, and he didn't even look sorry about it. Sobbing, Rin held her cheek and asked, "Did I do something wrong?"_

"_Yes, Rin. You've been very naughty, and now you need to be punished."_

_Rin, terrified, jumped to her feet and fled, narrowly dodging his fingers that were aimed at her wrist. The fingers caught her hair instead, and the mini-ponytail on the side of her head fell out. "Please, stop!" she cried as she ran. She was beginning to re-live the memory of the day she had run from the wolves that had eventually killed her. The same paralyzing fear crept into her senses, and she found it difficult to breathe. A thought manifested itself in her mind, and it made her run even faster: he's going to kill me._

_She recalled the strong feeling of security she'd had when Sesshoumaru saved her from Suikotsu of The Band of Seven that day on Mount Hakurei. She hadn't even been scared. Well, maybe a little. But then Sesshoumaru showed up and she knew that he wouldn't let anything happen to her. Where was her guardian now? He seemed almost possessed, but Rin knew that couldn't be true. No only was he the Demon lord - and why would a demon possess one of its own? - but he was much too strong to let that happen to himself. Therefore, that left one possibility: Sesshoumaru had lost his mind._

_Rin was running blindly now, though she knew that she was still en route to the village. It couldn't be too much farther, could it? She looked around, horrified when she realized that nothing looked familiar. None of the trees, bushes, or other landmarks looked remotely similar to the ones that were on the way to the town. And hadn't she previously traveled on a path? Where was the path?_

_She stopped running, petrified and hysterical. Lacking any other choice, she shouted, "KIMIKO-SAN!"_

_To her complete despair, it was not the kind woman that suddenly leapt from the tree above her, but the one reason she had been running for her life in the first place. Sesshoumaru landed right in front of her, and she screamed as he reached for her._

_Rin didn't know what was going on. This guy was all over her, his hands going everywhere but where they should, and she couldn't remember anything. She must have blacked out again. But now she was trapped, and she could do nothing but cry and beg him to stop._

_But he didn't stop. He continued on late into the night, and by the time he was finished, Rin had barely enough energy to wipe away her tears. She could only lie there and weep, feeling deeply hurt and betrayed._

_At last, Sesshoumaru stood up and turned to walk away. Before he left, he threw a look her way and said, "Thanks a lot, Rin. We should do this again sometime."_

_Rin just sobbed harder and didn't stop as he disappeared into the night._

_-_

Sesshoumaru couldn't remember the last time he vomited. It had to be several hundred years ago, but he wasn't sure. He was certain he'd remember this forever, though.

Sesshoumaru was on his hands and knees in the dirt on the bank of a river not far from Kaede's hut, eyes tightly shut as the contents of his stomach made their way up and out of his mouth. He was shaking severely and he couldn't stop his stomach from twisting painfully inside of him.

He didn't know how long he'd been like this. Rin had finished her tale some time ago, and he'd been retching agonizingly ever since. He'd finally gotten to the point of regurgitating blood.

But still he couldn't stop. It just kept coming, and he could only let it.

-

Inside Kaede's hut, Rin was crying uncontrollably. Kaede sat with her and held her, whispering small words of comfort and encouragement.

"You did very well today, Rin," Kaede praised, but her heart wasn't in it. Seeing the child like this made her heart break, and she was about to cry along with her. The stew on the fire had dried out and was now a pot of burnt vegetables. The smell was acrid, but Kaede and Rin barely noticed.

A/N: Short, I know. But a lot happened in this chapter.


	10. Gone Again

A/N: Yay! I think I got more reviews for Chapter 9 than any other chapter so far! Thanks a lot you guys. Especially:

Secret Angel Forever21: I know it was, but it'll get better. I promise. Thank you for the kind words.

Masshiro-Inu: Thanks! I try. Here you go.

Bluish Angel: . . .thanks . . .

o.O: I know. It's kind of exciting! Poor Rin. (By the way, great name!)

Dolphin Girl202: Thank you!

Cleo: Yeah, decapitating someone for motivation is kinda messed up. But hey, to each his own. Thanks for reviewing.

Wolfygirl13: I KNOW! I feel bad for her too . . . even though I'm the one who wrote it . . . anyway, thank you so much. I'm sorry I made you cry! It made me happy to know that I did, though. That just shows me that I'm a convincing writer. I'm so glad you like this so much! Thank you for waiting so patiently. Your wait is over. (Heheh. Dangling. That's funny.)

Dani: 1. I know! I would totally hug her if I could. /hugs Rin/ 2. Totally. It's gonna be great. But, what if it really is our great Sesshoumaru? What then? We'll have to wait and see. Thank you so much.

Twiztidchick666: Aww. I love hearing from you. Thanks so much!

Sesshoumaru's Princess: Dude, you suck too! Who is the one who is not updating? Huh? Anyways, thanks. You're going to have to wait and see!

Icygirl2: I can't say anything! It'll totally give it away! The chapter after this one explains everything. I'm going to make you wait, though. Heheh, I'm so evil. /cackles/ Okay, seriously. You're so cute the way you keep thanking me. I love that. (I'm not trying to sound patronizing. It annoys me when people patronize me. Sorry.)

Ellethwen: Thanks for reviewing!

Mary: OO! I didn't know I was taking so long! Sorry about that. Shame on me. I'm grounded. Anyway, you don't need to wait anymore. Here you go. Thank you!

Thoughts13: Yep! We'll find out! Thanks!

Hasso (and Cleo): Thank you both so much. That was really sweet. I wish I could tell you guys what happened, but you're going to have to wait and see! It's killing me to make you wait! But oh, well. I'll get over it. Thank you guys again.

Magan: This is for all three of your reviews. THANK YOU! I love getting new reviewers. And you're so kind. Enjoy.

Sesshy's-wifey: I know, huh? Poor Sesshy. I love him. /huggles Sesshy/ Thank you for the nice review. I love nice reveiws. Are you _sure _Sesshoumaru would never do that? He is a youkai, after all. That's basically where the title "Prejudice" comes from. Anyway, I've said too much. Read away!

Sesshy Mustang Malfoy lover: Oo. Okay. Wow, long name. My computer is learning all kinds of new words! Anyway, thanks. I love hearing that. It's good for my self-esteem!

RayGirl91: I know! Your review made me laugh. I'm in a weird mood right now. anyway, thanks a whole lot. Here's #10.

Nefertiry: AAAAAAAHHHH! YOU'RE BACK//hyperventilates/ Oh, my word, I'm so HAPPY to hear from you! Yay, oh yay, you made my day! Thank you so much, Aki-chan! I miss youuuuu! I love all your compliments!

Cheekyamericangrl211: Oh, my gosh, I totally had to break down your name into three different parts to write that! Haha. That was fun. Okay, thanks a ton! And a ton more! Enjoy the tenth chapter!

**Chapter 10: Gone Again**

As the sun set, the cloth door to the house flapped open, and in walked Inuyasha, followed by Kagome, Sango, Kilala, Miroku, and Shippo. They all stopped short when they saw Kaede embracing a little girl. They looked at each other, wondering what was going on, and what they should do about it.

"Kaede?" Kagome said quietly, not wanting to break the silence but dying to know what was going on.

Kaede looked up at her, surprised. "Oh, Kagome, Inuyasha, everyone. I didn't hear you come in."

"Is everything okay?"

"Yes, everything is fine. We were just, um . . ." She didn't finish.

Kagome looked a little closer at the child in Kaede's arms and gasped. "Rin!"

"That's it!" Inuyasha exclaimed. "I was wondering where I've seen her before!"

Kagome turned to the older priestess. "Kaede, what is Rin doing here?"

Kaede tried to think of a quick lie, but she drew a blank. No believable excuse made itself available to her. She sighed, and said, "You might want to sit down."

Inuyasha got a strange look. "Sesshoumaru's not dead, is he?" he blurted out, more annoyed at the thought of not being able to slay his brother himself than actually sad or relieved that Sesshoumaru might already be dead.

Rin began crying all over again.

Kagome frowned at him. "Inuyasha!" she scolded. "Don't you have any tact?"

"No."

Kagome ignored him. "Come on, you guys, let's sit down. Kaede has something important to tell us."

The friends sat around the priestess as said priestess told them Rin's story. Kagome noticed that, but said nothing about how, Rin grew redder and redder as the story progressed. It was like she was ashamed about what was being told about her.

The story did not take long to retell, and Kaede studied the faces of her audience when she'd finished. Kagome, Inuyasha, Sango, Miroku, and Shippo had a collective expression of horror, rage, and disgust. It was silent for awhile afterwards as everyone took some time to absorb the awful truth.

Inuyasha's voice was the first to echo off the walls. "Where is he now?"

-

The debate taking place in Kimiko's living room had risen to a shouting match. Everyone was shouting at Kimiko to stop being so paranoid, and Kimiko was shouting at everyone else to stop being so egotistical and unrealistic. The fact that she was obscenely outnumbered did not effect Kimiko's ability to yell just as loud as the rest of them.

"We'll go!" the mob roared.

"You'll stay!" Kimiko shouted back.

"We'll win!" the crowd argued.

"You'll die!" Kimiko stomped her foot.

"He's outnumbered!"

"_He's a demon!"_

"We'll be fine!"

"No you won't! You people don't understand!"

"We understand just fine!" someone toward the back of the crowd said. "We know what we're doing, Kimiko! It's _you_ who doesn't understand!"

Kimiko placed her hands on her hips. "What I understand is that you people are too wrapped up in yourselves to know exactly what you're dealing with. He's a _youkai_, for heaven's sake! Don't you see that? Have you ever heard of a youkai losing to a bunch of humans?"

It was silent for a moment, until someone said, "You mean besides yesterday?"

Kimiko opened her mouth to counter, but stopped. Looking around, she noticed someone missing. "Where's Mugen?"

-

Sesshoumaru's vomiting was finally subsiding, and he was beginning to get his trembling under control. He sat back, supported himself on his hand and tilted his head back, letting the remainder of the blood and bile go back down his throat. His eyes stared at the starry sky, but did not focus on it. The eyes only saw the face of little Rin, ashamed, afraid and confused.

_How could I let this happen?_

Sesshoumaru leaned forward again. He cupped his hand, dipped it into the river, and brought the water to his mouth. After swallowing a little and swishing the rest, he spat it out and stood up. He began to walk back to that priestess' hut as he wiped his mouth on his sleeve.He vaguely wondered how Jaken was faring, but that thought blew away with the breeze.

The volume of the other thoughts racing around in his mind was enough to make him dizzy, and he almost stumbled. Then he caught wind of something, literally, and he righted himself. A familiar, unwelcome, and annoying scent invaded his nostrils.

_Inuyasha . . ._

Didn't that pest know when, and where, he was not wanted? Why did he always, _always_ have to stick his nose where it didn't belong? Why couldn't he just go away and stay away?

Just some of life's unanswerable questions.

Kaede's hut was now in sight. A horrible smell was coming from there, other than Inuyasha's, kind of like scorched meat and vegetables. The stench made Sesshoumaru's stomach lurch, and he vaguely remembered that the old woman had been making stew when he and Rin arrived. She must have forgotten about it.

Just then, a figure darted from Kaede's hut and stood outside, guarding the house protectively. "What do you want, Sesshoumaru?" the figure demanded. It was Inuyasha.

Sesshoumaru kept walking and didn't reply.

"Hey!" Inuyasha shouted. "I'm talking to you!"

"And I'm ignoring you. Now get out of the way."

"Why?"

"I need to speak to Rin."

"Not on your life."

Sesshoumaru growled. "I have no patience for you, half-breed. Now _move_!"

Inuyasha suddenly found himself sprawled on his back several feet away. He sat up, wiping the blood from his mouth and cursing under his breath about how fast Sesshoumaru could cover ground. He hadn't even seen Sesshoumaru draw Toukijin, and luckily it wasn't the sharp blade that connected with his face, but the handle.

Sesshoumaru returned Toukijin to its proper place on his hip and turned away from his brother.

"Hey!" Inuyasha shouted. "Where do you think you're going?"

"I already told you, I need to speak to Rin."

Inuyasha leapt to his feet. "No chance!" he yelled, and charged Sesshoumaru.

Sesshoumaru swivelled around and swatted Inuyasha away, who in turn sprang from the ground and charged him again. Both brothers drew their swords at the same time, and sparks flew when the blades crossed.

"I won't let you near her!" said Inuyasha.

"This doesn't involve you, Inuyasha!" Sesshoumaru replied. "Stay out of it!"

"Forget it!"

Fighting this battle would have been much easier for Sesshoumaru if he'd still had his left arm. His right arm was already a little tired from supporting him while he vomited in the river for hours, and now he had to fight off his pesky little brother?

Suddenly, from behind Sesshoumaru, a woman shouted, "_Hiraikotsu!_"

Sesshoumaru found himself faced with two decisions: should he A.) stay where he was and allow the giant bone boomerang to smack him square in the head, or B.) abandon the fight with Inuyasha and turn his attention to said boomerang, possibly earning him a gash down his entire back from the Tetsusaiga?

Sesshoumaru decided on C.), the hidden choice, and ducked. Theoretically, the Hiraikotsu should have soared right over his head and into Inuyasha. It would have worked, but Inuyasha saw it coming and jumped out of the way. The Hiraikotsu flew away and the woman who threw it followed, riding on the back of a large two-tailed cat.

"_Wind Tunnel!_"

Annoyed, Sesshoumaru secretly wished he still had the Samiyoshou. That would keep that bothersome Monk busy enough. But he didn't, so he did the next sensible thing and dodged the Kazaana. Dirt, rocks, branches and even whole trees rocketed from their spot on or in the ground and toward the black hole in the Monk's hand.

Miroku wrapped his prayer beads around his hand and closed the wind tunnel. The wind stopped, but Sesshoumaru didn't. The Taiyoukai came flying at Miroku with mach ten speed, sword drawn and teeth bared.

Miroku panicked. He didn't have enough time to dodge Sesshoumaru's attack or even bring out the Wind Tunnel again, and he certainly wasn't strong enough to survive a direct assault from Sesshoumaru. So, he did what any other person would do in that situation: he cringed and prepared to die.

But death never came. Miroku stood there, eyes tightly shut and whole body tense, awaiting the killer blow, when suddenly a piercing screech erupted from directly in front of him.

It was Rin.

Now Sesshoumaru panicked. Rin was only a few yards in front of him, and he was going way too fast to stop in time! Sesshoumaru knew he would collide with her small body. She would be killed instantly, her tiny frame would be crushed, and it would fly through the air and land crudely in the mud. Sesshoumaru would be banished, Jaken would abandon him, and he would be alone for eternity.

All of this ran through his head in the span of a single second.

Sesshoumaru tried to slow down in order to lessen the impact, even though he knew it would do no good whatsoever. Rin would die today. He covered his face with his arm and waited for the single most painful moment in his entire life to arrive.

Suddenly, Inuyasha came flying from out of nowhere, wrapped his arms around Rin, and vaulted himself into the air. Rin squeaked in surprise and held on tight, watching as Sesshoumaru shot through the air just below them.

Sesshoumaru skidded to a stop several feet away and turned around, then watched as Inuyasha landed on the ground and released Rin. The two brothers faced off, each waiting for the other to attack first.

Rin fled behind Kaede's hut and caught her breath, supporting herself with her hands on her knees. Then she stood upright and peered around the corner, waiting.

"Hello, Rin."

Rin spun around and screamed as a hand reached for her.

Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha heard Rin scream at the same time and looked around. A figure high in the air, visible only as a large black dot, caught Inuyasha's attention and he pointed, saying, "Look up there! What is that?"

Sesshoumaru looked, and his eyes widened. "It's Rin."

"Who has her?"

Just then, the dot shot through the air on an eastward path. Sesshoumaru had a feeling he knew exactly where they were going.

Inuyasha cringed as he watched Sesshoumaru's eyes start to change to red. "Sesshoumaru-"

"Not now, Inuyasha," Sesshoumaru warned him. He looked behind him toward the barn where he'd hidden Ah'Un and whistled. Ah'Un appeared and ran toward Sesshoumaru, who jumped onto its back. Then Sesshoumaru and Ah'Un flew through the air after Rin.

Inuyasha joined in the chase, but not before picking up Kagome and making sure Sango, Miroku and the rest were close behind.

A/N: Only a couple more chapters to go!


	11. Just Glad I Could Help

A/N//Bows/ Welcome to the final installment of Prejudice. This story has been several months in the making, and now it's ending. I hope you guys really enjoy it. Don't forget to let me know what you think.

OO. So many reviews! Thank you so much! I love you guys. You guys make my day. I love coming home from work and checking my email and going OO!

Reviews are answered in the order they were received:

Cleo: I know, but I don't mind your psychotic threats. It's just funny.

Secret Angel Forever21: Thank you! I love hearing from you! You're too sweet.

Big City: Cool name! Thanks for the kind words.

Twiztidchick666: Thanks a heap. I really appreciate it.

Blueish Angel: No worries! Here you go. I hope you enjoy it.

Wolfygirl13: Mmmmm . . . banana . . . dangling . . . dangling bananas . . . anyway, thank you so much. I love your quirkiness! I'm surprised that word is actually recognized on my laptop.

Silver Moon: Thank you so much. I love kind words.

Sesshomaru's Princess: Luffles back! I know! Everything is cleared up in this chapter. Stay tuned!

Icygirl2: A little curiosity never hurt anyone. It did kill a cat, once, though. Just don't be _too _curious. Enjoy the last chapter!

Cheekyamericangirl211: Yeah, your name _is _that long. But I don't mind! It helps my wpm. Anyway, I hope you really enjoy the last chapter.

Masshiro-Inu: I've been meaning to ask you. Does your name have a meaning? I know what "inu" means, but I don't know what "masshiro" means. Either way, it's cool. Creative. Here you go. I hope you like this.

Dani: I love all of your responses. This chapter explains everything. I hope I don't disappoint!

AmberStallion: THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU! That was really sweet. You made me grin! (That's not very hard to do, though.) That's one of the reasons I write. Sometimes, if I'm unhappy with the way things are going in a show or game or whatever, I'll re-write an episode or invent a completely new one. Thank you so much!

Adriana: Thank you bunches! I love new reviewers! I'm sorry to make you wait so long. But my chapters are crap if I rush myself, so I try to go for quality instead of speed.

Sesshy's-wifey: Thank you so much! It seems good things end too soon and bad things end too late! I hate that. Thank you for reviewing!

Hpscout: Thanks a ton! So many kind words. You spoil me.

Magan: Oo. That's really bizarre. Those symbols aren't on my computer. I don't know what's causing them. I'm sorry! It's normal on my screen. But thanks for letting me know.

**Chapter 11: Just Glad I Could Help**

Rin's mind was reeling. She was presently flying through the air in the arms of someone she recognized, but didn't know at all. How was this happening? Didn't she just see Sesshoumaru fighting it out with Inuyasha moments ago? How was she now in his arms several hundred feet above the ground?

Wait.

It dawned on Rin just then. She was in his arms. In his . . . arms . . .

She could've slapped herself. The whole time the answer to her mystery was staring her right in the face, and she didn't see it. Her mind had been so muddled that she failed to recognize the solution to the problem.

But not anymore. She was thinking clearly now, and she was no longer afraid.

-

Sesshoumaru rocketed across the sky on the back of Ah'Un, some distance behind his foe. He could see Rin and the creature who held her, but he couldn't make out any features of either of them. Strangely, Rin didn't appear to be struggling at all.

_Maybe he's already killed her, _a voice in the back of Sesshoumaru's head said. Sesshoumaru ignored the voice. He glanced behind him, scowling when he spotted Inuyasha and his companions.

_Doesn't he know when not to get involved? _"Faster, Ah'Un!"

Ah'Un couldn't go much faster, but they did try.They drew farther and farther away from Inuyasha until he could be seen no more.

Smirking in satisfaction, Sesshoumaru returned his attention to the thing he was chasing.

_You cannot escape, _he thought. _I'd know your scent anywhere._

The scent Sesshoumaru was trailing was his own.

-

It was an action done out of nervous habit. Back and forth the broom went, sweeping up dirt and dust that didn't exist because the broom had passed over this spot several hundred times. Kimiko paid no attention to her wood floor. She was standing in the middle of her living room, but her mind was two thousand miles away. She couldn't stop thinking about Rin. Was she afraid? Hurt?

Dead?

The last thought ran through Kimiko's head a million times a minute, no matter how hard she tried not to let it. It was one of those things: don't think about it and it won't be true. Except she couldn't stop thinking about it.

All of a sudden, shouting could be heard outside. The village was in an uproar, and Kimiko ran to the window to find out why. She glanced through the glass, gasped, then ran outside.

"Rin!" she exclaimed, almost in tears.

Rin was here, slung over Sesshoumaru's shoulder sack-of-potatoes style. She perked up when she saw Kimiko.

"Hi, Kimiko-san!" she said happily.

Kimiko jerked. Rin was happy? What on earth could possibly make her happy at a time like this? "Rin, are you okay?"

Rin grinned. "I'm more than okay. This isn't Sessh-"

She wasn't able to finish because Sesshoumaru batted her on the mouth with his free hand, which enraged Kimiko.

"You let her go, demon!" she screamed at him. "Don't touch her again! You hear me?"

Sesshoumaruignored her.

Kimiko frowned, not liking being ignored and wondering why Rin wasn't trying to escape.

-

Up in the air, on the back of Ah'Un, Sesshoumaru began trembling in rage when he saw the creature smack Rin in the face. He could make out minimal features of the thing from this distance, but he could see quite clearly every move it made. Which included slapping Rin.

"Ah'Un, land."

-

Kimiko and the rest of the town looked up to see a tall, silver-haired demon descending from the sky on the back of a double-headed horse-like youkai. When they landed, the demon got off, and everyone fell deathly silent. Kimiko did a double-take. The youkai holding Rin and the youkai that just arrived were identical.

-

Sesshoumaru was literally beside himself. He stared at the thing with wide eyes as every piece of the puzzle found its place in this mess. The creature looked _exactly_ like him, with two exceptions: it had both of its arms, and its eyes were completely blank. No iris, nor pupil, just a complete field of white.

On the outside, the Other Sesshoumaru observed Sesshoumaru coolly, unimpressed. On the inside, it was panicking. The jig was up.

"What the heck is going on here!" a new voice from the back of the crowd exclaimed. The great sea of humanity separated and down between walked Inuyasha, Kagome, and the rest. The one speaking had been Inuyasha.

"Two Sesshoumarus?" Kagome said incredulously.

"How is this happening?" said Sango.

"We can barely handle one!" Shippo added.

Sesshoumaru scoffed. "I assure you, humans, there is only one Sesshoumaru."

"Then why don't you explain what the heck's going on here?" Inuyasha suggested.

"With pleasure." Sesshoumaru turned to the Other Sesshoumaru. "I don't know how you managed to make yourself identical my likeness, but really, I don't care. The only thing that matters to me is the fact that you are going around impersonating me and performing acts that discredit me. This is a very serious thing. Now, first things first." He reached out his hand. "Give the girl to me."

The Other Sesshoumaru wrenched back. "Never," he said. His voice was deep and what could only be described as "scaly".

Sesshoumaru was in no moodto deal with an uncooperative youkai. "Give her to me _now_."

"Get lost!"

That was it. Sesshoumaru had had it, and he was going to show this cur just how much he'd had. Quick as a blink, Sesshoumaru's hand shot out and snatched Rin away before the Other Sesshoumaru could have a chance to stop him.Quicker still, Sesshoumaru set Rin softly on the ground and, after making sure she was safely in the protective arms of Kimiko, he slugged the Other Sesshoumaruright in the nose, just as the Other Sesshoumaru had done to him days before.

Once the Other Sesshoumaru was sprawled on the ground, Sesshoumaru seized his collar and forced him to his feet, pinning him against the wall of Kimiko's house.

"Now," Sesshoumaru snarled, pleased by the frightened look in the Other Sesshoumaru's empty eyes, "show me your true form."

The Other Sesshoumaru began to twitch, jerking around violently and twisting this way and that. Yellow irises and red pupils materialized in his eyesand his body began to alter its shape. He sprouted another pair of arms - or were they legs? - and his clothes changed from flowing robes and hakama to sleek green scales. His nose became a snout, his teeth grew long and his tongue, suddenly forked, flicked in and out of his mouth, tasting the air.

Sesshoumaru watched in repulsed fascination the transformation taking place in front of his very eyes.What was once a tall, dignified, graceful youkai (it was mimicking Sesshoumaru, after all) was now a hulking, writhing, serpentine creature with buggy eyes and a long, pointed tail. Sesshoumaru had no time to absorb this new development, however, because the thing lifted four of its six legs from the ground and shoved Sesshoumaru in the chest. Sesshoumaru stumbled back, regained his balance, then stared as the lizard-like monster stood on its back legs and did a strange sort of battle roar. It came out sounding more like a hiss.

"I am the Chameleon," the creature said. He looked around at the gathered village people, adding, "you all may remember me as Mugen."

The entire town gasped at the same time. Kimiko nearly fainted. Inuyasha and company traded astonished looks. Meanwhile, Sesshoumaru just glowered.

"You certainly are a strange-looking chameleon," Sesshoumaru observed.

Chameleon snapped him a look. "I am also part snake, not that it's any of your business."

"That doesn't explain the extra pair of legs."

Chameleon growled. "I don't have to explain myself to you!"

All of a sudden, a shrill shriek erupted from the front of the crowd. Kimiko stood crying, one hand over her mouth and the other pointing to Chameleon. "It was you!" she choked out. "You killed her!"

Chameleon just cocked his head at her. "You are just now figuring this out?"

Talk about adding insult to injury.

Rin looked up at Kimiko. "What are you talking about, Kimiko-san? Who did he kill?"

A fresh river of tears flooded Kimiko's cheeks as she whispered, "My daughter. My little Mae."

Sesshoumaru did not approve of the proud expression Chameleon wore on its grotesque face.

"Yes," Chameleon hissed. "She was delicious."

Kimiko collapsed to the ground with a sob and a shake of her head. "I just can't believe it," she croaked. "I trusted you. _I trusted you!_"

Rin fought it, but she felt her face contorting with unshed tears. "Kimiko-sama," she said in a strained voice. She knelt beside the woman and wrapped her small arms around her shoulders. "I'm so sorry."

Kimiko turned slightly and pulled Rin into a tight embrace.

Rin hugged her back, inhaling her hair. She closed her eyes and said, "You smell like my 'kaasan."

Kimiko sniffed Rin's hair. "And you smell like my little Mae."

The Chameleon hissed just then, killing the moment. "I've had it with you humans and your sentimentality."

Rin whirled around and glared at him. "Stop talking to Kimiko-san like that!" she demanded. "She never did anything to you!"

Chameleon snarled at her, making Sesshoumaru twitch. Rin was obviously feeling very bold; and why wouldn't she, with Sesshoumaru standing right there?

Rin gasped as Chameleon suddenly came charging at her at break-neck speed, flourishing his thirty sharp claws and baring his many teeth. She ducked, covering her head with her arms and squeezing her eyes shut. Kimiko shrouded her further by wrapping her arms around her.

Not a foot away, Chameleon stopped with a snap in mid-air. Gravity kicked in and brought him to the ground with a thud, knocking the wind out of him. He coughed, inhaled dust and coughed again. He tried to stand, but he couldn't move his tail. Wondering why, he glanced behind him and growled.

Sesshoumaru held Chameleon's tail in a vice-grip, with one foot behind him and one in front for balance. Lacking his left arm, he needed to summon all the strength he could in his legs. The Chameleon wasn't outrageously strong, but he was _heavy._

"Let me go, you wretch!" Chameleon shrieked.

"Be quiet," Sesshoumaru replied. Then, he proceeded to swing Chameleon around in several circles before releasing him. Chameleon soared through the air with Sesshoumaru hot on his heels. Sesshoumaru sped up, ducked underneath his foe, then vaulted himself off the ground, head-butting Chameleon in the stomach and practically folding him in half.

Chameleon tried to scream, but Sesshoumaru's head was placing so much pressure on his abdomen that his ribs were threatening to pierce his lungs. They were several hundred feet in the air now, and he could feel Sesshoumaru trying to drill a hole right through him with his head.

Sesshoumaru reached up and coiled his arm around Chameleon's neck, yanking him down over his head so that Chameleon was now under his feet. Sesshoumaru reversed his direction and started falling very fast. Chameleon was trapped between Sesshoumaru's feet and sheer force of descent.

In a panic, Chameleon clawed at Sesshoumaru's legs, trying to free himself. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the ground coming up to meet him at a dizzying speed.

Sesshoumaru smirked down at him with red eyes and drew Toukijin. He raised it high, then brought it down in the center of Chameleon's chest. Chameleon's eyes bugged out of his head and he tried to scream, but Sesshoumaru's sword punctured both of his lungs, causing them to fill with blood and eventually burst. A moment later, they landed on the ground with enough force to create a crater the size of a house.

The members of the crowd watching covered their eyes as dirt, debris, and even a piece or two of Chameleon were blown through the air.

Rin peered between her fingers and squinted against the wind. Through the dust, she could make out a figure as it jumped out of the hole in the ground and landed on the roof of a house. She grinned. "Sesshoumaru-sama!"

Sesshoumaru heard Rin call out his name and looked down. The very sight of her, smiling, happy, and waving at him, was enough to cause his eyes to return to their normal color. He felt a little woozy as the bloodlust left his system. He jumped down, and Rin nearly tripped over herself as she ran to him. As she got closer, Sesshoumaru was disturbed to see that she was crying.

Rin latched herself onto her guardian's knees and wouldn't let go. She buried her face into his hakama, sobbing and saying, "I'm sorry, Sesshoumaru-sama! Please forgive me! I didn't mean to say I hate you! I don't hate you!"

Sesshoumaru tried to tug her off gently. "Rin-"

"No!" Rin cried, holding on tighter. "Please don't make me go!"

"Rin-"

"Please! I love you, Sesshoumaru-sama! Please don't make me go away! I want to stay with you!"

Sesshoumaru decided he was in an uncomfortable situation. Here he was, with a little human girl attached to his legs, standing in the middle of a village surrounded by yet more humans. The villagers, along with Inuyasha and his cohorts, were starting to stare.

Sesshoumaru, admittedly, was feeling a little awkward. He reached down and pulled Rin off of him, looking sternly down at her. She looked back up at him with the biggest, saddest eyes he'd ever seen on her angelic face. Tears ran down her face as her chin trembled. She hiccupped.

Just then, Sesshoumaru turned around and began walking away. Rin watched him go in disbelief. Was he . . . leaving her?

"Sess . . . Sesshoumaru-sama . . . ?"

"Rin, let's go. Jaken is waiting for us."

Rin blinked, then again. Then she grinned, her tears drying immediately. "I'll be right there, Sesshoumaru-sama! I just have to say goodbye to Kimiko-san!" She ran to Kimiko and threw her arms around her. "Thank you, Kimiko-san. I won't ever forget you. Don't forget me, either, okay?"

Kimiko sniffed as her tears fell into Rin's hair and said, "I could never forget you, Rin."

Rin gave her one last squeeze. "Thank you for everything, Kimiko-san."

Kimiko half laughed, half sobbed. "I'm just glad I could help."

Rin slowly released her and began walking away. Kimiko watched her go with a sense of sadness, but also a sense of happiness. It was one of those bittersweet moments in life. She was glad to see Rin happy, but she wished she could be the one who got to enjoy Rin's happiness.

Rin skipped over to Sesshoumaru and they made their way out of the village.

"Lord Sesshoumaru!"

Sesshoumaru and Rin turned around at the same time. Kimiko was looking at them.

"You take good care of Rin, do you hear me?" Kimiko said. Sesshoumaru just looked at her. "I don't ever want to hear of that smile leaving her face. She's a good little girl, and you are very lucky to have her. Don't you dare mistreat her or I'll have your head, got that?"

Sesshoumaru looked like he was preparing some nasty retort in his head, but then he appeared to rethink it. Instead, he said, "Don't bother yourself with unrealistic concerns."

Satisfied, Kimiko smiled and said, "You are a very smart demon. And you make a wonderful dad to Rin."

Sesshoumaru jerked, but said nothing. He only nodded and continued on his way.

Once they were completely out of sight and earshot, Kagome turned to Inuyasha and said, "He sure has changed a lot, hasn't he?"

Inuyasha nodded.

"Kinda like you."

"Keh. I haven't changed _that _much."

"Yes, you have."

"No, I haven't."

"I would have to agree with Kagome," said Miroku.

Sango added, "Me too."

"Oh, yeah? Well, what do you guys know?"

"More than you, apparently," Shippo said.

"Say what!"

Kagome sighed as Inuyasha chased Shippo around the village. "At least things are back to normal," she said.

"Yeah," Sango replied. "Whatever that is."

**THE END.**

A/N: Well, there you have it. Thus ends the story that I've been working on since . . . October, I think. I don't even remember. Anyway, I want to thank you guys for sticking with me through all of this. It means so much to me. I'm happy this is over, but I'm also sad to see it go. It's one of those bittersweet moments in life. It was such a privilege to be able to write on this site. I'll miss you guys!

I have not lost the joy of writing, but I'm going to be taking a hiatus for a while. My life is starting to take an uphill slope and I need to focus on gaining momentum lest I fall backward. Maybe I'll return some day. Be looking out for me! Until then, have a great week/month/year. Thanks again, all of you. To everyone who's read my story and not reviewed, the fact that you even checked it out means the world to me.

Just a couple of notes:

I know most of you thought it was Naraku, and I hope I didn't disappoint you. But the Enemy had to be killed for what he did to Rin, and as strong as Sesshoumaru is, I don't think he could have killed Naraku that easily. /Dodges rotten vegetables/ Sorry, but that's the way I think.

This story was originally going to be a few chapters longer, but for the life of me I couldn't find a place to stop. Thus, I decided to end it a little sooner than I planned, but at the same time I made the longest chapter on record.

I hope it didn't seem like I went too fast on this chapter. Any feedback will be appreciated. I had a lot of fun with this fic.

THANKS to EVERY PERSON who checked me out. Even if you didn't review, even if you didn't like it, it means the world to me that you would even consider reading it.

I hope I explained everything well enough. I hope I didn't leave you hanging with unanswered questions. If I did . . . well, there's not much I can do about that. Sorry.

Magan has informed me that some weird symbols have appeared in the previous chapter. Please tell me if anyone else sees them too, okay, and I will see if I can figure out what causes them. Thanks a lot!

Okay, I'll stop blabbing now. Just let me know what you think, okay? Thanks. I'll miss you guys.

Sincerely Forever,

Yumithebutterfly.


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